Canada geese are beautiful, intelligent birds who mate for life, fiercely protect their eggs and young, and display loyalty for other members of their flock. The methods that USDA Wildlife Services uses to kill geese are controversial and widely understood to be grossly inhumane - during the hottest months of the year flightless geese and goslings are corralled, packed into turkey crates and transported to slaughterhouses or gas chambers.

There is no scientific basis that geese dropping pose a threat to human health. Killing the geese is counter to public opinion, not how the residents of Mamaroneck want tax dollars spent, and a horrid example for children to whom we teach tolerance and co-existence with wildlife.

Killing the geese is not an effective solution, and will only clear the area temporarily as other geese will repopulate the vacant desirable habitat. A long term strategy is required to resolve the conflict.

This unfortunate plan can be avoided by making a commitment of simple steps, such as cleaning up the grass with machines that pick up goose droppings, and making landscape modifications which hamper access to the pond and prevent geese from colonizing the pond’s surrounding area. Migratory geese will leave the area on their own in the spring, local populations that remain through the summer can effectively be controlled.

Letter to

Westchester County ExecutiveRob Astorino

MayorNorm Rosenblum

DEPUTY MAYORLOUIS S. SANTORO

and 5 others

TRUSTEEILISA MILLER

TRUSTEEANDRES BERMUDEZ HALLSTROM

TRUSTEELEON POTOK

State SenatorGeorge Latimer

State RepresentativeSteven Otis

Canada geese are beautiful, intelligent birds who mate for life, fiercely protect their eggs and young, and display loyalty for other members of their flock. The methods that USDA Wildlife Services uses to kill geese are controversial and widely understood to be grossly inhumane - during the hottest months of the year flightless geese and goslings are corralled, packed into turkey crates and transported to slaughterhouses or gas chambers.

There is no scientific basis that geese dropping pose a threat to human health. Killing the geese is counter to public opinion, not how the residents of Mamaroneck want tax dollars spent, and a horrid example for children to whom we teach tolerance and co-existence with wildlife.

Killing the geese is not an effective solution, and will only clear the area temporarily as other geese will repopulate the vacant desirable habitat. A long term strategy is required to resolve the conflict.

This unfortunate plan can be avoided by making a commitment of simple steps, such as cleaning up the grass with machines that pick up goose droppings, and making landscape modifications which hamper access to the pond and prevent geese from colonizing the pond’s surrounding area. Migratory geese will leave the area on their own in the spring, local populations that remain through the summer can effectively be controlled.